Means for preventing meddling with the flow of fluids.



I UNITED. STATES Patented October is, 1903.

CHARLES W. GEEKIE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

MEANS FOR PREVENTING MEDDLING WITH THE FLOW 0F FLUIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,240, dated October 13, 1903.

Application filed August 25, 1902. Serial No, 120,891. (No model.)

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES IV. GEEKIE, a resident of the city of Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Preventing Meddling with the Flow of Fluids; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same. The invention relates to means for preventing intermecldlers varying the pressure or rate of supply in the supply-pipe of fluids, such as gas; and its object is to provide a false key to be substituted during periods of consumption for the real key of-the cook, the construction being such that a real key can be used when desired to cut off entirely the flow of the supplied liquid and such that when the false key is in use it cannot be manipulated to vary the dimensions of the supply-conduit.

The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and particularly pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central section. Fig. 2 is a perspective of a false gas-c0ck key. Fig. 3 is an end view of the key. Fig. 4 is a plan of a washer.

The ordinary cock used to shut off the flow of fluids in pipes and also to vary the capacity of the fluid-conduit can be manipulated for that purpose by unauthorized persons, and in some cases it is desirable and important to obviate intermeddling of this character. For this purpose I have devised a false key, such as best indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings herewith, which can be used instead of the real key of'a cock except at such times as the latter is required to close the passage in the fluid-conducting pipe.

Numeral 1 denotes the barrel of a stop-cock, and 2 a false key having an end 3 to receive a handle and a screw-threaded end 4 to receive a nut 4 and apart 6 to receive awasher 5 in usual manner. The two parts 7 and S of the key are centrally connected by a stem 9, extending across the passage or conduit 10. The connection or stem 9 is made comparatively small and of cylindrical form, so that it will not seriously obstruct a current through the conduit and so that the amount of ob struction, however small or great it may be,

cannot be varied by turning the key.

7 3 and 8 denote the openings in the barrel of the stop-cock, which are filled,respectively, by the parts 7 and 8 of the false key or by similar parts of a true key, according as one or the other is in use.

When the use of a stop cock is required, the false key herein described can be removed and a suitable key substituted. To enable this to be done, the keys, false and true, will have similar dimensions except at that part normally situated in the fluid-conduit.

The function of the false or dummy cook or key 2 is to fill the seat of an ordinary stopcock by means which permits no interference with the dimensions of the passage through the pipe and no cutting offof the current therethrough, said dummy being removable for the substitution of an ordinary valve adapted to close the pipe-passage either entirely or partially. The dummy cook or plug is adaptedfor use in any situation where at times a conduit of invariable capacity not subject to interference is required and at other times where either a closed or a regulable conduit is desirable.

It is characteristic of my device that the two parts 7 and 8 tightly close a stop-cock seat 011 each side of the barrel and that it is held in position in the usual manner of holding stop cocks or plugs against endwise movement.

I am aware that a water-pipe has been combined with a faucet-cock so formed as to permit constant flow through the pipe and also permit the drawing of water from the pipe at will, said cock being provided with suitable openings and a conduit to deliver water at the end of the cock. In such prior construction the cock was situated in an enlargement of the pipe-channel and the constant waterchannel was situated laterally with respect to the axis of the pipe and a stop was provided to indicate the closed position of the draw-off port. By my improvement the stop is dispensed with, the pipe-channel enlargement avoided and a pipe of uniform size utilized, a centrally-situated gas-channel is provided,and the surreptitious drawing oif of gas or its accidental leakage is prevented.

Having thus described my inventi0n,whatI whereby intermeddling with the gas-supply claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters through the tube is obviated. Patent, is- In testimony whereof I have signed this In combination With a pipe, the false key specification in the presence of two subscrib- 5 for cocks comprising the two parts connected' ing witnesses.

by a stem of relatively small diameter, said key in use constantly closing stop-cock openings, and means for holding the parts against WVitnesses: endwise movement, the bore of the pipe ad- ELIZABETH L. GARDNER, ro jacent the key being uniform, all as set forth, FREDERICK S. GEEKIE.

CHARLES W. GEEKIE. 

